Fastener feed apparatus

Abstract

A feed apparatus for feeding fasteners to a fastener installation head includes a chute to support and guide a strip of fasteners from a chute inlet to the fastener installation head. The strip of fasteners includes a plurality of fasteners selectably releasably attached to a carrier ribbon, wherein the feed apparatus is to separate the fasteners from the carrier ribbon and present the fasteners to the fastener installation head for installation. An idler wheel is to peel the carrier ribbon from the fasteners as the fasteners pass through the chute. A tensioner is to advance the carrier ribbon and apply tension to the carrier ribbon to advance the fasteners in the chute. An actuator is to urge the tensioner to advance the carrier ribbon.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A feed apparatus for feeding fasteners to a fastener installation head, comprising:
 a chute to support and guide a strip of fasteners from a chute inlet to the fastener installation head, wherein the strip of fasteners includes a plurality of fasteners selectably releasably attached to a carrier ribbon, wherein the feed apparatus is to separate the fasteners from the carrier ribbon and present the fasteners to the fastener installation head for installation;   an idler wheel to peel the carrier ribbon from the fasteners as the fasteners pass through the chute;   a tensioner to advance the carrier ribbon and apply tension to the carrier ribbon to advance the fasteners in the chute; and   an actuator to urge the tensioner to advance the carrier ribbon.   
     
     
         2 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the chute has an aperture defined in a top surface;   the aperture has a width transverse to a feed direction of the chute;   the width of the aperture is smaller than a transverse dimension of the fasteners to prevent the fasteners from being withdrawn through the aperture; and   the carrier ribbon is to be drawn through the aperture and over the idler wheel, thereby peeling the carrier ribbon from the fasteners in seriatim.   
     
     
         3 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , further comprising a support bracket rigidly attached on a side of the chute to support an axle of the idler wheel wherein the axle of the idler wheel has an idler axis orthogonal to the feed direction of the chute. 
     
     
         4 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 3  wherein the idler wheel includes an internal bearing. 
     
     
         5 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising an actuator support bracket fixedly attached to the chute, wherein the actuator is mounted to the actuator support bracket and wherein the actuator has an actuator shaft having an actuator shaft axis orthogonal to a feed direction of the chute. 
     
     
         6 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 5  wherein the tensioner is removably mounted on the actuator shaft for advancement therewith. 
     
     
         7 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the actuator is a rotary actuator. 
     
     
         8 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the actuator is an electric motor. 
     
     
         9 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the actuator is an air motor. 
     
     
         10 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the chute is to prevent entry of an inverted fastener into the chute. 
     
     
         11 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein:
 the carrier ribbon is a plastic substrate with an adhesive layer disposed thereon; and 
 the fasteners are selectably removably adhesively attached to the carrier ribbon. 
 
     
     
         12 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein:
 the carrier ribbon is a flat plastic ribbon; 
 the carrier ribbon has a plurality of retention apertures defined therein; and 
 each fastener is disposed in a respective retention aperture and selectably releasably retained therein by resilience of the carrier ribbon. 
 
     
     
         13 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the fasteners are cylindrical or hexagonal. 
     
     
         14 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the fasteners are polygonal. 
     
     
         15 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the fasteners are free of burrs when presented to the fastener installation head. 
     
     
         16 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the actuator actuates the tensioner in response to a control signal and wherein the control signal is independent of a stroke of the fastener installation head. 
     
     
         17 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 16  wherein the control signal is responsive to a detection of a fastener in the fastener installation head by a fastener detection sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 17  wherein the fastener detection sensor is a proximity sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the fasteners are self-clinching or self-piercing fasteners. 
     
     
         20 . The feed apparatus as defined in  claim 19  wherein the strip of fasteners is unwound from a reel to be drawn into the chute inlet.